U.S. patent number 10,491,940 [Application Number 16/110,714] was granted by the patent office on 2019-11-26 for systems and methods for displaying multiple media assets for a plurality of users.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Rovi Guides, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Rovi Guides, Inc.. Invention is credited to Todd Kulick, David Shoop, Joseph Sinnott, Dylan M. Wondra.
United States Patent |
10,491,940 |
Sinnott , et al. |
November 26, 2019 |
Systems and methods for displaying multiple media assets for a
plurality of users
Abstract
Systems and methods for delivering multiple media assets for a
plurality of users are disclosed herein. A plurality of users
proximate to a display device may detected and split into groups
based on preference for a specific media asset. Media assets may be
generated on a display device in a layout based on the number of
users in each group. When a new user enters the proximity of the
display device the group membership may be recalculated and based
on the new group memberships the display layout may be updated.
Inventors: |
Sinnott; Joseph (Palo Alto,
CA), Shoop; David (San Jose, CA), Wondra; Dylan M.
(Mountain View, CA), Kulick; Todd (Mountain View, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Rovi Guides, Inc. |
San Jose |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Rovi Guides, Inc. (San Jose,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
67902595 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/110,714 |
Filed: |
August 23, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N
21/4532 (20130101); H04N 21/4821 (20130101); H04N
21/44213 (20130101); H04N 21/41415 (20130101); H04N
21/4858 (20130101); H04N 21/42201 (20130101); H04N
21/44218 (20130101); G06F 16/435 (20190101); H04N
21/44222 (20130101); H04N 21/2668 (20130101); H04N
21/25891 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04H
60/33 (20080101); H04N 21/414 (20110101); G09G
1/00 (20060101); H04N 21/482 (20110101); H04N
21/45 (20110101); H04N 21/485 (20110101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Kim; William J
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Haley Guiliano LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for delivering multiple media assets for a plurality of
users, the method comprising: assigning, each of a plurality of
users proximate to a display device, to a first set of users or a
second set of users, wherein each of the users in the first set of
users has a media asset preference profile having a preference for
a first characteristic of a first available media asset, and
wherein each of the users in the second set of users has a media
asset preference profile having a preference for a second
characteristic of a second available media asset; generating, on
the display device, the first available media asset and the second
available media asset, wherein a layout for the first available
media asset and the second available media asset on the display is
configured based on an amount of users in the first set of users as
compared with an amount of users in the second set of users;
detecting a new user proximate to the display device; retrieving a
media asset preference profile for the new user; determining that
the new user has a media asset preference profile having the first
characteristic; retrieving a threshold setting for the first set of
users and the second set of users, the threshold setting indicative
of an increment to either of the first set of users and the second
set of users and relative to a total set of users in the first set
of users and the second set of users; determining whether adding
the new user to the first set of users changes the amount of users
in the first set of users as compared with the amount of users in
the second set of users by more than the threshold setting; and in
response to determining that adding the new user to the first set
of users changes the amount of users in the first set of users as
compared with the amount of users in the second set of users by
more than a threshold setting, adjusting the display layout of the
first available media asset and the second available media asset
according to the change.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: detecting that a user
in the first set of users has left the field of view of the
display; removing the user of the first set of users that has left
the field of view of the display from the first set of users;
determining a new amount of users in the first set of users without
the user that has left the field of view; determining whether the
new amount of users in the first set and the amount of users in the
second set of users differ by more than the threshold setting; and
in response to determining that the new amount of users and the
amount of users in the second set of users exceeds the threshold
setting, adjusting the display layout of the first available media
asset and the second available media asset based on the new amount
of users in the first set of users as compared with an amount of
users in the second set of users.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: detecting that one of
the users in the first set of users has left the field of view of
the display; retrieving a set of alternate display devices
available to the user that has left the field of view of the
display; determining whether the first available media asset is
available for display on any of the alternate display devices; and
in response to determining that the first available media asset is
available for display on a first display of the set of alternate
display, generating a display screen of the first available media
asset on the first display.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising: detecting that a user
in the first set of users has begun viewing the first available
media asset on an alternate device; removing the user of the first
set of users that has begun viewing the first available media asset
on the alternate device; determining a new amount of users in the
first set of users without the user that has begun viewing the
first available media asset on the alternate device; determining
whether the new amount of users in the first set and the amount of
users in the second set of users differ by more than the threshold
setting; and in response to determining that the new amount of
users and the amount of users in the second set of users exceeds
the threshold setting, adjusting the display layout of the first
available media asset and the second available media asset based on
the new amount of users in the first set of users as compared with
an amount of users in the second set of users.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating, on the display device,
the first available media asset and the second available media
asset further comprises: retrieving information for the display
device, the information indicating a size of the display;
generating a display screen for the display device having a first
window for the first available media asset, the first window sized
according to the size of the display and a ratio of the first set
of users to the second set of users; and generating a second window
in the display screen for the display device, the second window
sized according to the size of the display and a ratio of the
second set of the users to the first set of users.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising: in response to
determining that the amount of users in the first set of users is
greater than the amount of users in the second set of users,
playing an audio output for the first available media asset on the
display device and generating a display of closed caption content
for the second available media asset; retrieving a table of
assignments of users in the second set of users and devices
available for the second set of users; identifying a second
available device for one of the second set of users; and playing an
audio output for the second available media asset on the second
available device for the one user of the second set of users.
7. The method of claim 2 wherein determining whether adding the new
user to the first set of users changes the amount of users in the
first set of users as compared with the amount of users in the
second set of users by more than the threshold setting comprises:
calculating the amount of users in the first set of users after
adding the new user; calculating the amount of users in the second
set of users; determining a ratio of the amount of users in the
first set of users compared to the total amount of users; and
comparing the ratio with the threshold setting.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising: retrieving a priority
level for the first available media asset; determining that the
priority level for the first available media asset is higher than
the priority level of the second available media asset; and
updating the display screen layout configuration based on the
priority level by increasing a size of a display of the first
available media asset to a size associated with the priority
level.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising updating one or more of
the priority level of the first available media asset and the
priority level of the second available media asset based on a
change in content in one or more of the first available media asset
and the second available media asset.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning, each of a plurality
of users proximate to a display device, to a first set of users or
a second set of users further comprises: retrieving a respective
media asset preference profile for each of the plurality of users;
retrieving the first characteristic for the first available media
asset and the second characteristic for the second available media
asset; in response to matching a first of the media asset
preference profiles for the plurality of users with the first
characteristic, assigning a respective user associated with the
matching first media asset preference profile to the first set of
users; and in response to matching the first of the media asset
preference profiles for the plurality of users with the second
characteristic, assigning the respective user associated with the
matching first media asset preference profile to the second set of
users.
11. A system for delivering multiple media assets for a plurality
of users, the method comprising: control circuitry configured to:
assign, each of a plurality of users proximate to a display device,
to a first set of users or a second set of users, wherein each of
the users in the first set of users has a media asset preference
profile having a preference for a first characteristic of a first
available media asset, and wherein each of the users in the second
set of users has a media asset preference profile having a
preference for a second characteristic of a second available media
asset; generate, on the display device, the first available media
asset and the second available media asset, wherein a layout for
the first available media asset and the second available media
asset on the display is configured based on an amount of users in
the first set of users as compared with an amount of users in the
second set of users; detect a new user proximate to the display
device; retrieve a media asset preference profile for the new user;
determining that the new user has a media asset preference profile
having the first characteristic; retrieve a threshold setting for
the first set of users and the second set of users, the threshold
setting indicative of an increment to either of the first set of
users and the second set of users and relative to a total set of
users in the first set of users and the second set of users;
determine whether adding the new user to the first set of users
changes the amount of users in the first set of users as compared
with the amount of users in the second set of users by more than
the threshold setting; and in response to determining that adding
the new user to the first set of users changes the amount of users
in the first set of users as compared with the amount of users in
the second set of users by more than a threshold setting, adjust
the display layout of the first available media asset and the
second available media asset according to the change.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further
configured to: detect that a user in the first set of users has
left the field of view of the display; remove the user of the first
set of users that has left the field of view of the display from
the first set of users; determine a new amount of users in the
first set of users without the user that has left the field of
view; determine whether the new amount of users in the first set
and the amount of users in the second set of users differ by more
than the threshold setting; and in response to determining that the
new amount of users and the amount of users in the second set of
users exceeds the threshold setting, adjust the display layout of
the first available media asset and the second available media
asset based on the new amount of users in the first set of users as
compared with an amount of users in the second set of users.
13. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further
configured to: detect that one of the users in the first set of
users has left the field of view of the display; retrieve a set of
alternate display devices available to the user that has left the
field of view of the display; determine whether the first available
media asset is available for display on any of the alternate
display devices; and in response to determining that the first
available media asset is available for display on a first display
of the set of alternate display, generate a display screen of the
first available media asset on the first display.
14. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further
configured to: detect that a user in the first set of users has
begun viewing the first available media asset on an alternate
device; remove the user of the first set of users that has begun
viewing the first available media asset on the alternate device;
determine a new amount of users in the first set of users without
the user that has begun viewing the first available media asset on
the alternate device; determine whether the new amount of users in
the first set and the amount of users in the second set of users
differ by more than the threshold setting; and in response to
determining that the new amount of users and the amount of users in
the second set of users exceeds the threshold setting, adjust the
display layout of the first available media asset and the second
available media asset based on the new amount of users in the first
set of users as compared with an amount of users in the second set
of users.
15. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further
configured, when generating, on the display device, the first
available media asset and the second available media asset further,
to: retrieve information for the display device, the information
indicating a size of the display; generate a display screen for the
display device having a first window for the first available media
asset, the first window sized according to the size of the display
and a ratio of the first set of users to the second set of users;
and generate a second window in the display screen for the display
device, the second window sized according to the size of the
display and a ratio of the second set of the users to the first set
of users.
16. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further
configured to: in response to determining that the amount of users
in the first set of users is greater than the amount of users in
the second set of users, playing an audio output for the first
available media asset on the display device and generate a display
of closed caption content for the second available media asset;
retrieve a table of assignments of users in the second set of users
and devices available for the second set of users; identify a
second available device for one of the second set of users; and
play an audio output for the second available media asset on the
second available device for the one user of the second set of
users.
17. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further
configured, when determining whether adding the new user to the
first set of users changes the amount of users in the first set of
users as compared with the amount of users in the second set of
users by more than the threshold setting, to: calculate the amount
of users in the first set of users after adding the new user;
calculate the amount of users in the second set of users; determine
a ratio of the amount of users in the first set of users compared
to the total amount of users; and compare the ratio with the
threshold setting.
18. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further
configured to: retrieve a priority level for the first available
media asset; determine that the priority level for the first
available media asset is higher than the priority level of the
second available media asset; and update the display screen layout
configuration based on the priority level by increasing a size of a
display of the first available media asset to a size associated
with the priority level.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the control circuitry is further
configured to update one or more of the priority level of the first
available media asset and the priority level of the second
available media asset based on a change in content in one or more
of the first available media asset and the second available media
asset.
20. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further
configured, when assigning each of a plurality of users proximate
to a display device to a first set of users or a second set of
users further comprises: retrieve a respective media asset
preference profile for each of the plurality of users; retrieve the
first characteristic for the first available media asset and the
second characteristic for the second available media asset; in
response to matching a first of the media asset preference profiles
for the plurality of users with the first characteristic, assign a
respective user associated with the matching first media asset
preference profile to the first set of users; and in response to
matching the first of the media asset preference profiles for the
plurality of users with the second characteristic, assign the
respective user associated with the matching first media asset
preference profile to the second set of users.
Description
BACKGROUND
Media content may be presented in an environment with multiple
viewers in a way where multiple programs are displayed that are of
interest to the multiple viewers. In some scenarios, viewers may
wish to view the same media content. In other scenarios, viewers
may wish to view different media content. In yet other scenarios,
only a few viewers may wish to view certain media content while
more viewers may wish to view other media content. Often, viewers
need to select the media asset to begin viewing. In a location with
multiple viewers requiring each viewer to select a media asset to
commence viewing may be laborious and inconvenient. In addition,
when multiple media assets are available for display, it may be
difficult to determine which media to display for which of the
viewers. Providing a media display with multiple media assets for
viewers without requiring a viewer selection, may improve a
viewer's ability to access media, particularly for media that is
important or interesting for the viewer. In addition, keeping the
media display suitable and relevant to the audience of users may be
difficult when users change locations or change their access to a
display.
SUMMARY
The advancement of data transmission and availability of digital
media has made it possible to access media from multiple sources on
multiple devices. Although more and more people have personal
viewing devices, and in some cases, multiple personal viewing
devices, supplying media content for viewers automatically that is
interesting or relevant for the viewer, displayed at a suitable
time and location, displayed without requiring the viewer to
affirmatively select or access the media content will improve a
viewer's viewing experience by efficiently displaying media that
the viewer needs or wishes to view in a place and manner that is
helpful for the viewer. There are many environments in which there
are multiple viewers actively or passively watching a display
screen (or display screens) together, such as in a conference room,
waiting room, common area, or other location. Such display screens
may show one or more media assets that may be general interest
programming, or somewhat tailored to the general audience. To
improve on this experience, a media system, such as a media
guidance application, may generate media content, for display to
the viewers, that is customized to the viewers presently
surrounding the display device, and that is displayed in a
configuration using audience information. To provide such
customized displays, the media guidance application may obtain
information about display devices available in a particular
location and reference data about audience members present in the
vicinity of the display devices, and data about the viewers,
including, for example, viewer media preferences and associated
media devices to provide a display that can include media that is
interesting to many of the viewers and presented in a manner that
considers the preferences of viewer cohorts in the audience. The
media guidance application may use media asset metadata, as well as
viewer data to automatically generate displays of media assets for
the audience. In addition, the media guidance application may
generate media assets for display in a layout configuration that is
suitable for the audience.
Accordingly, to overcome the limitations of generic media displays,
a media guidance application may obtain information about media
assets that may be available for viewing. In an example, in a
sports bar, timely sporting event programming may be selected to
display on one or more screens in the sports bar. In another
example, in a conference room, one or more media assets relating to
corporate projects, lectures, such as a live feed, for example, may
be selected for display. The media guidance application may obtain
information about viewers within viewing range of display devices
in a location. For example, in the sports bar, a media system may
recognize customers using information obtained from an associated
device such as a mobile phone or smart watch, when a customer logs
into a food service food ordering application, using cameras and
facial recognition techniques, or other identification techniques.
In a conference room environment, viewers, for example, employees,
may be recognized using an employee badge, cameras with facial
recognition techniques, work laptop logins or other technique. Such
recognition techniques may be authorized by a viewer. In
particular, the recognition techniques may be used in connection
with a database of device assignments which can be used by the
media system to identify suitable devices on which to display media
assets for a particular user. Generally speaking, the database of
device assignments may include multiple devices that are available
for a user. For example, a user may be assigned or associated with
a smartphone, a personal tablet, a work computer, conference room
display screen, work building lobby display, work building elevator
screen, home television, home computer, local restaurant display
screen, local sports bar display screens, and other such devices. A
user may control such device assignments. Other organizations may
be authorized to assign the user with devices associated with the
user. The database of device assignments may be used to identify
displays that may be near a user that are suitable for displaying
media content. The media system generating such media content
display may obtain display associations for many viewers so that
display screens in various locations can be used to show media
content that is relevant for the audience near the display
screen.
In an embodiment, a media guidance application may deliver multiple
media assets for a plurality of users. The multiple media assets
may be any media assets that are available for displaying by the
media guidance application. The media guidance application may
detect a plurality of users proximate to a display device. The
media guidance application may detect the user proximity to the
display device using various techniques. For example, in a
conference room environment, users may be detected by a user's
employee badge, a user's connection to a conference bridge, camera
recognition or other technique. In another scenario, audience
members in a theater may be recognized based on tickets used for
entry to the theater and information about the viewer's seat
location. In another scenario, students in a classroom may be
recognized based on student profile information and logins in a
school network. In another example, customers in a sports bar may
be detected by the media guidance application using restaurant
table management software, explicit login access by the customer,
camera recognition, or other technique. In any of these scenarios,
users may also be recognized by the media guidance application by
use of a handheld device, such as a smartphone or smartwatch. Such
device may include an application capable of communicating with the
media guidance application over a network to supply location
information for the device. Such information may be supplied to the
media guidance application by the user pushing the information in
the application or based on proximity to devices associated with
the users and which are available for displaying media content by
the media guidance application.
The plurality of users that are detected to be in the proximity of
the display are generally able to view media content on the display
device. The plurality of users may be assigned to a viewer group,
such as a first set or second set of users. For the purposes of
clarity, scenarios with two sets of users will be discussed herein.
However, it should be noted that any number of user sets may be
accommodated. The sets of viewers may be organized according to
user preference profiles and media available to be displayed on the
display device. Generally, each user may be assigned to one set of
viewers. In some scenarios, however, a user may have a profile that
matches both viewer sets. In such case, one user may be assigned to
both sets. The sets of viewers may be organized by matching user
profiles and available media. For example, a first set of users may
include users that have a preference profile that is aligned with
characteristics of a first media asset, while a second set of users
may include users that have a preference profile that is aligned
with characteristics of a second media asset. The first media asset
and second media asset that are available for displaying on the
device may be selected for the display based on time, access,
location, or other basis. For example, in a conference room
setting, corporate video clips, training videos, video conferences,
or other media may be available for display. In a sports bar
setting, the media assets may be selected based on sporting events
that are currently playing. When available media changes, and when
users change location, the sets of viewers may change. The viewer
assignments to the sets of users may be stored in a database and
updated by a media guidance application as needed.
The media guidance application may generate on the display device
the media assets, for example, the first available media asset and
the second available media asset. The media assets may be obtained
by the media guidance application and displayed on the display
device so that the first media asset and the second media asset may
be viewed by the viewers. A layout for the first media asset and
the second media asset in the display may be selected by the media
guidance application using information about the sets of viewers.
For example, a layout configuration of the two media assets may be
based on an amount of users in the first set of users as well as an
amount of users in the second set of users. For example, if there
are many more users in one of the user sets, a layout for the
display of the media assets may include the media asset for the
larger group sized relatively larger than the other media asset
which may be associated with a smaller group. In other examples,
the display configuration may be based on other characteristics of
the audience such as user importance, proximity, and other
factors.
If the audience shifts and users change locations or move out of
view of the display device, the media guidance application may
change the layout configuration of the media assets to reflect any
changes in the audience. The configuration update may be helpful in
keeping the display relevant to the audience. In some scenarios,
timing of the media asset playback may also be changed to be
suitable to the audience so that the media asset is played at the
right or appropriate time segment.
The media guidance application may detect that a new user is
proximate to the display device. In some embodiments, the media
guidance application may also detect that the user is able to view
the display device. The detection of the new user may be performed
using sensing components such as a camera, device sensor, or other
technology capable of detecting that a new user has joined an
audience near the display device. The media guidance application
will attempt to identify the new user so that the user's preference
profile can be obtained and used by the media guidance application
to assign the new user with one or the other of the sets of
viewers. The new user may be assigned to the set of users for a
media asset for which the user has a preference profile that is
aligned with characteristics for the media asset. In some
scenarios, a user may not be identifiable in which case the user
may not be assigned to either of the sets of viewers. In another
scenario, the user may be assigned to both sets of viewers so that
the presence of the viewer does not affect a relative ratio among
the two sets of users.
In some embodiments, when the new user is added to one of the sets
of users, for example, the first set of users, the media guidance
application will check to see whether the addition of the new user
changes the make-up of the audience. Some changes to the audience
composition may be minor and so a change to the layout
configuration of the media assets may not be warranted. In some
other scenarios, however, the addition of a user to one of the
groups may cause the balance of the audience to shift more towards
one of the media assets. In this case, the media guidance
application may update the display layout of the media assets to a
new configuration that reflects the composition of the audience. To
evaluate the audience composition following the addition of the new
user to the first set of users, the media guidance application will
compare the amount of users in the first set and the amount of the
second users with a threshold amount setting. The threshold may be
set by a system manager or set to a default setting. The threshold
may be used by the media guidance application so that certain small
changes to a size or amount of a set of users do not trigger a
change to the layout.
If the media guidance application determines that adding the new
user to the first set of users changes the amount of users in the
first set of users as compared with the amount of users in the
second set of users by more than the threshold amount, the media
guidance application will adjust the layout of the media assets
according to the change, for example, to reflect the change in the
size or amount of users in the sets of users.
In some embodiments, when the media guidance application detects
that a new user is proximate to the display device, the media
guidance application may attempt to determine the importance of the
new user. The determination of the new user's importance may be
performed using a combination of sensing component and the new
user's profile. In some embodiments, the media guidance application
may also detect that the new user is able to view the display
device. In one example, the media guidance application may identify
the new user as the owner of a bar in which media is playing. In
response, the media guidance application may assign the bar owner
to a set of viewers and display more prominently the content
corresponding to the set of users to which the bar owner belongs,
regardless of the ratio of the two sets of viewers. As another
example, the media guidance application may determine that the new
user who has entered a conference room is the company's president.
In response, the media guidance application may display more
prominently content that corresponds to the preferences of the set
of users to which the president belongs, regardless of the ratio of
the two sets of users.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may use the
importance of viewers to weigh each viewer's impact on the content
display relative to other viewers. For example, the media guidance
application may recognize that the bar owner is present in a bar
with 50 other users and assign the bar owner to the first of two
user sets. Based on its determination of viewer importance, the
media guidance application may further determine that all users'
preferences should be weighted equally except for the bar owner,
who should be weighted 30 times as heavily as each other user. In
this example, it is possible that the media asset corresponding to
the first user set may be displayed as prominently as or more
prominently than the media asset corresponding to the second user
set even if the first user set is much smaller than the second user
set.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may deliver
multiple media assets for a plurality of users by executing the
following actions. The media guidance application may assign users
into two or more groups based on a preference for a specific
characteristic for media. Specifically, the media guidance
application may assign, each of a plurality of users proximate to a
display device, to a first set of users or a second set of users,
where each of the users in the first set of users has a media asset
preference profile having a preference for a first characteristic
of a first available media asset, and wherein each of the users in
the second set of users has a media asset preference profile having
a preference for a second characteristic of a second available
media asset. For example, the media guidance application may split
users present in a location into a first set that prefers a first
type of content (e.g., news) and a second type of content (e.g.,
sports).
The media guidance application may generate a display layout for
two media programs based on an amount of users in each set.
Specifically, the media guidance application may generate, on the
display device, the first available media asset and the second
available media asset, where a layout for the first available media
asset and the second available media asset on the display is
configured based on characteristics of the first set of users, such
as amount of users, importance of particular users, or other
relevant factors, as compared with corresponding characteristics of
the second set of users. For example, if more users in a location
prefer a first type of content (e.g., news) than a second type of
content (e.g., sports) the media guidance application may generate
for display the news program and the sports program in such a way
that the news program takes more space on the display than the
sports program.
The media guidance application may identify a new user entering a
location and retrieve that user's media asset preference profile.
Specifically, the media guidance application may detect a new user
proximate to the display device, and retrieve a media asset
preference profile for the new user. For example, the display
device may include a camera or another proximity sensor, and use
that sensor to identify a new user within the proximity of the
display. The media guidance application may use a user identity to
retrieve a media asset preference profile of the user (e.g., over a
network).
The media guidance application may determine, based on the user's
media preference profile that the new user enjoys a specific type
of media. Specifically, the media guidance application may
determine that the new user has a media asset preference profile
having the first characteristic. For example, the media guidance
application may analyze the user's media preference profile and
determine that the user enjoys the news more than sports.
The media guidance application may retrieve a threshold ratio of
users needed for changing the layout of the display. Specifically,
the media guidance application may retrieve a threshold setting for
the first set of users and the second set of users, the threshold
setting indicative of an increment to either of the first set of
users and the second set of users and relative to a total set of
users in the first set of users and the second set of users. For
example, the media guidance application may retrieve the threshold
from memory. The threshold may be a ratio of a first set of users
to the second set of users needed for a change, a percentage of
users in the first set as compared to the second set needed for
change, or another suitable value.
The media guidance application may determine whether adding the new
user to one of the sets changing the relation of the sets to each
other to warrant a change of layout of the two media assets.
Specifically, the media guidance application may determine whether
adding the new user to the first set of users changes the amount of
users in the first set of users as compared with the amount of
users in the second set of users by more than the threshold
setting. For example, the threshold may include a ratio of users
needed to change the layout of the display. In one specific
scenario, the location may have an equal number of users that enjoy
sports and news, and a media asset that is a sports game may be
using a larger amount of display space versus a news program.
However, a new user that enters the location may enjoy news more
than sports, and as a result change the ratio of users that enjoy
the news to users that enjoy sports. The media guidance application
may detect that change.
If the change in the amount of the first set as compared with the
second set creates two sets that are different by a threshold
amount, the media guidance application may modify the layout of the
screen. Specifically, the media guidance application may, in
response to determining that adding the new user to the first set
of users changes the amount of users in the first set of users as
compared with the amount of users in the second set of users by
more than a threshold setting, adjust the display layout of the
first available media asset and the second available media asset
according to the change. For example, the media guidance
application may change the relative size of each displayed media
asset. Alternatively or additionally, the media guidance
application may adjust the location of the two media assets as laid
out on the display. In some embodiments, the size of the first
media asset displayed may be directly proportional to the number of
users in each set. For example, if there are 50 users in each set,
each displayed media asset may be of equal size. If there are 60
users in the first set and 40 in the second set, the ratio of the
sizes of the two media assets may be 60 to 40. In some embodiments,
the layout of the display may be changed based on a number of users
that are located on each side of the display. For example, if 35
out of 60 users that like the first media asset are now located on
the right of the screen, the media guidance application may move
the displayed first media asset to the appropriate side of the
screen.
In some embodiments, changes in the composition of the audience may
cause the media guidance application to change other aspects of the
media presentation. For example, the media guidance application may
adjust the volume of each media asset, the color display or
brightness of each media asset, the layering of media assets, or a
number of other features of the presentation.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may react
appropriately when users leave the proximity of the display. For
example, if enough users leave, the media guidance application may
adjust the layout accordingly. The media guidance application may
perform the following actions reacting to users leaving the
proximate location of the display. The media guidance application
may detect that a user in the first set of users has left the field
of view of the display. For example, the media guidance application
may use a camera or another sensor to determine that the person has
left the location (e.g., a person left the conference room, or a
bar, or another suitable location).
The media guidance application may, in response, remove the user
from the set/group that the user has been part of Specifically, the
media guidance application may remove the user of the first set of
users that has left the field of view of the display from the first
set of users. For example, if a user that left the location was in
the group that preferred the news program, the media guidance
application may remove that user from the group of users that
prefer the news.
The media guidance application may recalculate the group membership
responsive to change of the group composition (e.g., when a user is
taken out of a group). Specifically, the media guidance application
may determine a new amount of users in the first set of users
without the user that has left the field of view. For example, if
the group of users that prefers the news had fifty users and one
user was removed from the group, the media guidance application may
calculate the total number of users in the group as forty-nine.
The media guidance application may determine whether the change in
group membership creates user numbers in the group that exceeds a
threshold. Specifically, the media guidance application may
determine whether the new amount of users in the first set and the
amount of users in the second set of users differ by more than the
threshold setting. For example, if a threshold dictates a change in
layout when a percentage of users in the first set exceeds a
percentage of users in the second set, the media guidance
application may perform that determination.
In response to determining that a respective number of users in the
updated sets changes the ratio of users by more than a threshold
amount, the media guidance application may adjust the layout of the
display. Specifically, the media guidance application may, in
response to determining that the new amount of users and the amount
of users in the second set of users exceeds the threshold setting,
adjust the display layout of the first available media asset and
the second available media asset based on the new amount of users
in the first set of users as compared with an amount of users in
the second set of users. For example, if the user that preferred
the news left the location, and that event created a condition
where the first set now included less than one third of the total
users and the second set now included more than two thirds of the
users, the media guidance application may change the layout to
increase the size of the appropriate media asset and/or change the
location of the other media asset. For example, if the majority of
users that prefer the other media asset, are now on one side of the
screen, the control circuitry may change the layout to put that
media asset to the appropriate side of the screen.
In some embodiments, when the user leaves the location, the user
may still want to continue consuming the media asset the user was
consuming at that location. The media guidance application may
accommodate that user. The media guidance application may detect
that one of the users in the first set of users has left the field
of view of the display. For example, the user may have left a
conference room, or a bar. The user may be tracked with a camera,
GPS device, or another sensor.
The media guidance application may identify other devices that the
user can access. Specifically, the media guidance application may
retrieve a set of alternate display devices available to the user
that has left the field of view of the display. For example, the
media guidance application may access the user's profile to
determine that a user has a smartphone capable of playing media
content. In another example, the media guidance application may
determine that the user has entered a field of view of a different
display capable of playing media content.
The media guidance application may determine which of the user's
detected devices are able to access the media asset. Specifically,
the media guidance application may determine whether the first
available media asset is available for display on any of the
alternate display devices. For example, if the user preferred a
news program over a sports game, the media guidance application may
determine which of the user's devices can access and play the news
program.
Upon finding a device that can access and play the media asset that
the user preferred in the location that the user has left, the
media guidance application may play the media asset on that device.
Specifically, the media guidance application may, in response to
determining that the first available media asset is available for
display on a first display of the set of alternate display,
generate a display screen of the first available media asset on the
first display. For example, the media guidance application, may
determine that the news program may be played on the user's
smartphone and play the news program. In some embodiments, the
media guidance application, instead of playing the news program,
may download the news program to the identified device and enable
the user to play the program later from the beginning or from the
point when the user walked out of the location.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may adjust the
layout of the display when one or more users start consuming the
content available on the display on a different device (e.g.,
another display or their own smart phone). The media guidance
application may detect that a user in the first set of users has
begun viewing the first available media asset on an alternate
device. For example, the media guidance application may be managing
multiple display devices (e.g., in a conference space or a bar).
Each display device may include a camera or another sensor that can
detect that a user is looking at that display device versus another
display device. The media guidance application may determine using
the camera or a sensor that the user has turned away to another
device. In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
determine, using the camera or another sensor, that the user is now
looking at the user's own device.
The media guidance application may upon detecting that the user is
consuming the media content from a different device, recalculate
the numbers of the different groups of users that are viewing media
from the display. Specifically, the media guidance application may
remove the user of the first set of users that has begun viewing
the first available media asset on the alternate device, and
determine a new amount of users in the first set of users without
the user that has begun viewing the first available media asset on
the alternate device. For example, if the user that prefers a news
program over a sports game is now watching that news program on
another display or a person device, the media guidance application
may remove the user from the appropriate set and calculate the new
number of users in the set.
The media guidance application may determine whether the new number
of users in the first set changes the difference between the
numbers in the first and second sets by more than a threshold
amount. Specifically, the media guidance application may determine
whether the new amount of users in the first set and the amount of
users in the second set of users differ by more than the threshold
setting. For example, if after the user that was removed from the
first set changed the ratio of the number of users in the first set
to the second set in such a way that the ratio is now lower than 2
to 1, the media guidance application may change the layout of the
display. Specifically, in response to determining that the new
amount of users and the amount of users in the second set of users
exceeds the threshold setting, the media guidance application may
adjust the display layout of the first available media asset and
the second available media asset based on the new amount of users
in the first set of users as compared with an amount of users in
the second set of users.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may generate
for display two programs sized according to the display size and
the ratio of the number of users preferring the first program
versus the second program. Specifically, the media guidance
application may retrieve information for the display device, the
information indicating a size of the display. For example, the
control circuitry may retrieve the resolution of the display device
(e.g., 1,920.times.1,080) or size of the display (e.g., 55
inches).
The media guidance application may generate for display the two
programs according to the display size (and/or resolution).
Specifically, the media guidance application may generate a display
for the display device having a first window for the first
available media asset, the first window sized according to the size
of the display and a ratio of the first set of users to the second
set of users, and generate a second window in the display screen
for the display device, the second window sized according to the
size of the display and a ratio of the second set of the users to
the first set of users. For example, if the first set of users
includes one third of the users and the second set of users
includes two thirds of the users, the media guidance application
may generate the first program using one third of the retrieved
display size/resolution and the second program using two thirds of
the display size/resolution.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may distribute
the audio/subtitle data for different programs that are being
displayed on the display device. Specifically, the media guidance
application may in response to determining that the amount of users
in the first set of users is greater than the amount of users in
the second set of users, play an audio output for the first
available media asset on the display device and generate a display
of closed caption content for the second available media asset. For
example, if the news program is preferred by more viewers of a
sports game in a bar, the media guidance application may play the
sound of the news and show closed captions/subtitles for the sports
game.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may determine
other devices available for users that prefer a program that does
not have the associated audio playing and play the audio of that
program on an available device. Specifically, the media guidance
application may retrieve a table of assignments of users in the
second set of users and devices available for the second set of
users and identify a second available device for one of the second
set of users. For example, the media guidance application may store
a table for every user of devices that the user may be able to hear
if the audio is played from those devices. The media guidance
application may identify those devices for one or more users that
prefer the sports game versus the news program. The media guidance
application may play an audio output for the second available media
asset on the second available device for the one user of the second
set of users. For example, the media guidance application may play
the audio of the sports game on one of the devices in the
table.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may determine
whether adding the new user to the first set of users changes the
amount of users in the first set of users as compared with the
amount of users in the second set of users by more than the
threshold setting using the following actions. The media guidance
application may calculate the amount of users in the first set of
users after adding the new user, and calculate the amount of users
in the second set of users. For example, the media guidance
application may determine that after adding a user in the first set
the first set has sixty-seven users and the second set has
thirty-two users.
The media guidance application may calculate a ratio of the users
who prefer the first media asset and the second media asset.
Specifically, the media guidance application may determine a ratio
of the amount of users in the first set of users to the second set
of users, and compare the first ratio and the second ratio to the
threshold setting. For example, the media guidance application may
determine that the ratio of users in the first set of users is
sixty-seven to thirty-three (i.e., slightly larger than two to one.
The threshold may be two to one. Thus, the media guidance
application may determine that the ratio of users of the first set
to the second set exceeds the threshold.
The media guidance application may, in addition, to number of users
in both sets use a priority level of each of the two media assets
to determine the layout of the display. Specifically, the media
guidance application may retrieve a priority level for the first
available media asset and the second available media asset, and
determine that the priority level for the first available media
asset is higher than the priority level of the second available
media asset. For example, the news program may have a higher
priority than the sports game because there may be a news break
with important news information. The media guidance application may
update the display screen layout configuration based on the
priority level by increasing a size of a display of the first
available media asset to a size associated with the priority level.
For example, if the news program was of a less priority than the
sports game (e.g., because more users preferred the sports game),
and a news event has happened that made the priority of the news
now higher than of the sports game, the media guidance application
may adjust the size and/or the location of each of the news program
and the sports game.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may monitor the
priority levels of each media asset, and update those priorities
based on what's happening on those media asset. Specifically, the
media guidance application may update one or more of the priority
level of the first available media asset and the priority level of
the second available media asset based on a change in content in
one or more of the first available media asset and the second
available media asset. For example, if there is an interesting
moment in the sports game, the media guidance application may
increase the size of the sports game on the display.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may add each of
a plurality of users proximate to a display device, to a first set
of users or a second set of users with the following actions. The
media guidance application may retrieve a respective media asset
preference profile for each of the plurality of users. For example,
the media guidance application may retrieve each profile from a
server. Each profile may include one more media asset
characteristics that the user prefers.
The media guidance application may retrieve characteristics of the
media assets available for display. Specifically, the media
guidance application may retrieve the first characteristic for the
first available media asset and the second characteristic for the
second available media asset. For example, the media guidance
application may retrieve a genre of each media asset (e.g., news
and sports). The media guidance application may, in response to
matching a first of the media asset preference profiles for the
plurality of users with the first characteristic, assign a
respective user associated with the matching first media asset
preference profile to the first set of users. For example, if the
user's profile includes a preference for a sports genre and the
given media asset is a sports game, the media guidance application
may determine a match between the profile and the media asset. The
media guidance application may, in response to matching the first
of the media asset preference profiles for the plurality of users
with the second characteristic, assign the respective user
associated with the matching first media asset preference profile
to the second set of users. For example, if the user's profile
includes a preference for a news genre and the given media asset is
a news program, the media guidance application may determine a
match between the profile and the media asset.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects and advantages of the disclosure will
be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed
description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout,
and in which:
FIG. 1 shows an illustrative example of a plurality of users
consuming media assets from a display device that is able to
display more than one media asset, in accordance with some
embodiments of the disclosure;
FIG. 2 shows an illustrative example of a display layout, in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;
FIG. 3 shows another illustrative example of a display screen of a
plurality of users consuming media assets from a display device
that is able to display more than one media asset, in accordance
with some embodiments of the disclosure;
FIG. 4 shows an illustrative example of a plurality of users
consuming media assets from a plurality of display devices that are
able to display more than one media asset, in accordance with some
embodiments of the disclosure;
FIG. 5 shows an illustrative example of a device map table, in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;
FIG. 6 shows an illustrative example of a user profile, in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an illustrative user equipment device
in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an illustrative media system in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;
FIG. 9 depicts an illustrative flowchart of a process for
delivering multiple media assets for a plurality of users, in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;
FIG. 10 depicts another illustrative flowchart of a process for
delivering multiple media assets for a plurality of users, in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure; and
FIG. 11 depicts another illustrative flowchart of a process for
adjusting the display layout of media assets, in accordance with
some embodiments of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may deliver
multiple media assets for a plurality of users by executing the
following actions. The media guidance application may assign users
into two or more groups based on a preference for a specific
characteristic for media. Specifically, the media guidance
application may assign, each of a plurality of users proximate to a
display device, to a first set of users or a second set of users,
where each of the users in the first set of users has a media asset
preference profile having a preference for a first characteristic
of a first available media asset, and where each of the users in
the second set of users has a media asset preference profile having
a preference for a second characteristic of a second available
media asset. For example, the media guidance application may be
controlling a display (e.g., display 100 of FIG. 1). Display 100
may be able to display multiple media assets simultaneously. For
the purposes of clarity embodiments with two displayed media assets
will be discussed herein. However, it should be noted that any
number of media assets may be displayed. The first media asset may
be displayed in window 110 of FIG. 1 and a second media asset may
be displayed in window 120 of FIG. 1. Both window 110 and window
120 may be within display 100. For example, the media guidance
application may retrieve a media asset preference profile for each
user in the proximity of the display device and compare the user's
preferred media asset characteristics from each retrieved
preference profile with media asset characteristics of the first
media asset and the second media asset. The media guidance
application may compare characteristics of the first media asset
(e.g., as retrieved from the metadata associated with the first
media asset) with the users' preference characteristics for media
assets as stored in a corresponding profile. The media guidance
application may perform the same comparison for the second media
asset. Based on the results of the comparison (i.e., depending on
each profile matching either the characteristics of first media
asset or the second media asset), the media guidance application
may place the user in an appropriate group (i.e., a group
associated with the first media asset or a group associated with
the second media asset).
The media guidance application may generate a display layout for
two media programs based on an amount of users in each set.
Specifically, the media guidance application may generate, on the
display device, the first available media asset and the second
available media asset, where a layout for the first available media
asset and the second available media asset on the display is
configured based on an amount of users in the first set of users as
compared with an amount of users in the second set of users. For
example, the media guidance application may calculate or retrieve a
number of users in the first set and a number of users in the
second set and compare those numbers. The media guidance
application may generate a layout based on the numbers. For
example, if the first set is twice as large as the second set, the
media guidance application may generate a first window for
displaying the first media asset and a second window for the second
media asset in such a way that the first window is twice as large
as the second window. For example, window 120 (FIG. 1) may be twice
as large as window 110 (FIG. 1). In other examples, the display
configuration may be based on additional characteristics of the
audience such as user importance, proximity, and other factors.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may adjust
other aspects of the media presentation based on the composition of
the audience. For example, the media guidance application may
determine that the first user set and the second user set are
comprised of approximately the same number of users. This may
prompt the media guidance application to display both media assets
in equally sized windows on the display device. However, the media
guidance application may use a location detection feature such as
GPS, facial recognition, or some other technique to determine that
viewers belonging to the first user set are located farther from
the viewing device than viewers in the second user set. In response
to this determination, the media guidance application may increase
the volume of the first media asset to accommodate for the
differences in viewing locations. Further, differences in the
content of media assets may prompt the media guidance application
to adjust other aspects of the media display. For example, the
media guidance application may search the metadata of the two media
assets being displayed for the importance of color to the content.
It may determine that one media asset, perhaps a news broadcast,
does not rely heavily on color while the other media asset, perhaps
a sports game, does rely heavily on color. In response, the media
guidance application may make the news broadcast display in black
and white while the sports game is displayed in full color. In
another example, two media asset displays may overlap slightly due
to the size and shape of the display device. The media guidance
application may search the metadata of the two media assets to
determine priority level of the content as it is broadcasted in
order to determine which media asset to display in front. For
example, certain portions of a news broadcast may be marked as high
priority, which may prompt the media guidance application to place
the news broadcast in front of a sports game. Additionally, certain
portions of the sporting event such as the final few minutes of a
game may be marked as high priority, prompting the media guidance
application to display the sporting event in front of the news
broadcast during that time period.
The media guidance application may identify a new user entering a
location and retrieve that user's media asset preference profile.
Specifically, the media guidance application may detect a new user
proximate to the display device, and retrieve a media asset
preference profile for the new user. For example, the display
device may include a camera or another proximity sensor, and use
that sensor to identify a new user within the proximity of the
display. The media guidance application may use face recognition
techniques to identify the user. In some embodiments, the media
guidance application may identify the user based on a device (e.g.,
a smart phone) that the user is carrying. The media guidance
application may use Bluetooth or other wireless standards to
identify the user's device. Upon identification of the user, the
media guidance application may retrieve a media asset preference
profile of the user (e.g., over a network).
The media guidance application may determine, based on the user's
media preference profile that the new user enjoys a specific type
of media. Specifically, the media guidance application may
determine that the new user has a media asset preference profile
having the first characteristic. For example, the media guidance
application may analyze the user's media preference profile and
extrapolate the user's preference for media. For example, the media
guidance application may analyze all the media that the user has
consumed a determine the user's favorite genre. In some
embodiments, the user's preference profile may be specific to a
conference that is being attended. The location of the conference
may include different lecture that are playing at the same time and
can be displayed on a single display device (e.g., display device
100 of FIG. 1).
The media guidance application may retrieve a threshold ratio of
users needed for changing the layout of the display. Specifically,
the media guidance application may retrieve a threshold setting for
the first set of users and the second set of users, the threshold
setting indicative of an increment to either of the first set of
users and the second set of users and relative to a total set of
users in the first set of users and the second set of users. For
example, the media guidance application may retrieve the threshold
from memory or from a remote server. The threshold may be a ratio
of a first set of users to the second set of users needed for a
change, a percentage of users in the first set as compared to the
second set needed for change, or another suitable value.
The media guidance application may determine whether adding the new
user to one of the sets changes the relation of the sets to each
other enough to warrant a change of layout of the two media assets.
Specifically, the media guidance application may determine whether
adding the new user to the first set of users changes the amount of
users in the first set of users as compared with the amount of
users in the second set of users by more than the threshold
setting. For example, the threshold may include a ratio of users
needed to change the layout of the display. The media guidance
application may recalculate a total number of users in each of the
sets. In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
retrieve a number of users for each set. The media guidance
application may calculate a ratio of the first number of users to
the second number of users, and compare the ratio with a threshold
ratio.
If the change in the amount of the first set as compared with the
second set creates two sets that are different by a threshold
amount, the media guidance application may modify the layout of the
screen. Specifically, the media guidance application may, in
response to determining that adding the new user to the first set
of users changes the amount of users in the first set of users as
compared with the amount of users in the second set of users by
more than a threshold setting, adjust the display layout of the
first available media asset and the second available media asset
according to the change. For example, the media guidance
application may change the relative size of each displayed media
asset. For example, display 100 may be adjusted by adjusting the
size of window 110 and 120 respectively to create a display 200
(FIG. 2) with windows 210 with the same media asset as displayed in
window 110 and window 220 with the same media asset as was
displayed in window 120. In some embodiments, the size of the first
media asset displayed may be directly proportional to the number of
users in each set. For example, if there are 3 users in each set,
each displayed media asset may be of equal size. As illustrated in
FIG. 3, display 300 may be include two equal size windows (window
310 and window 320).
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may react
appropriately when users leave the proximity of the display. For
example, if enough users leave, the media guidance application may
adjust the layout accordingly. The media guidance application may
perform the following actions the reacting to users leaving the
proximate location of the display. The media guidance application
may detect that a user in the first set of users has left the field
of view of the display. For example, the media guidance application
may user a camera or another sensor to determine that the person
has left the location (e.g., a person left the conference room, or
a bar, or another suitable location). The media guidance
application may track the user using a camera. In some embodiments,
the media guidance application may use a proximity sensor within
the user's smart phone to track the user.
The media guidance application may, in response, remove the user
from the set/group that the user has been part of Specifically, the
media guidance application may remove the user of the first set of
users that has left the field of view of the display from the first
set of users. For example, the media guidance application may
update a data structure within its memory to remove an entry from
the data structure for the user that just left.
The media guidance application may recalculate the group membership
responsive to change of the group composition (e.g., when a user is
taken out of a group). Specifically, the media guidance application
may determine a new amount of users in the first set of users
without the user that has left the field of view. For example, the
media guidance application may store each set of users in a
corresponding data structure. The data structure may have an entry
for a user count which may be updated (e.g., via an API) when users
enter and leave the specific location. The media guidance
application may update the entry when taking a user out of the data
structure.
The media guidance application may determine whether the change in
group membership creates user numbers in the group that exceeds a
threshold. Specifically, the media guidance application may
determine whether the new amount of users in the first set and the
amount of users in the second set of users differ by more than the
threshold setting. For example, the media guidance application may
retrieve the threshold from memory. The threshold may be any of a
percentage difference, a ratio, and an absolute number difference,
or another suitable threshold. The media guidance may calculate the
new relationship between the sets in terms of numbers of users and
compare the result with the threshold.
In response to determining that a respective number of users in the
updated sets changes the ratio of users by more than a threshold
amount, the media guidance application may adjust the layout of the
display. Specifically, the media guidance application may, in
response to determining that the new amount of users and the amount
of users in the second set of users exceeds the threshold setting,
adjust the display layout of the first available media asset and
the second available media asset based on the new amount of users
in the first set of users as compared with an amount of users in
the second set of users. For example, if the determination yields a
result of the changed first and second set being greater than the
threshold, the media guidance application may adjust the layout of
the display. It should be noted that there may be several
thresholds, one for each display configuration. For example, the
media guidance application may store one threshold for when the
windows are of the same size as illustrated in FIG. 3. That
threshold may be for instances when the ratio of users changes from
one to one to another value. A different threshold may be set for
when the windows are of different size as illustrated in FIGS. 1
and 2. That threshold may be two to three or another suitable
value.
In some embodiments, when the user leaves the location, the user
may still want to continue consuming the media asset the user was
consuming at that location. The media guidance application may
accommodate that user. The media guidance application may detect
that one of the users in the first set of users has left the field
of view of the display. For example, the user may have left a
conference room, or a bar. The user may be tracked with a camera,
GPS device, or another sensor.
The media guidance application may identify other devices that the
user can access. Specifically, the media guidance application may
retrieve a set of alternate display devices available to the user
that has left the field of view of the display. For example, the
media guidance application may access the user's profile as
illustrated in table 500 of FIG. 5. Table 500 may have two fields.
Field 510 may store user identification information while field 520
may store device identifications that the user has access to. Some
of the devices in the device map of FIG. 5 may be devices available
in the location while some devices may be users' personal
devices.
The media guidance application may determine which of the user's
detected devices are able to access the media asset. Specifically,
the media guidance application may determine whether the first
available media asset is available for display on any of the
alternate display devices. For example, the media guidance
application may access each device in table 500 and determine the
access rights of that device to the given media asset.
Upon finding a device that can access and play the media asset that
the user preferred in the location that the user has left, the
media guidance application may play the media asset on that device.
Specifically, the media guidance application may, in response to
determining that the first available media asset is available for
display on a first display of the set of alternate display,
generate a display screen of the first available media asset on the
first display. For example, FIG. 4 illustrates multiple available
display devices. Display devices 435 400 and 455 are devices
available for multiple users, while devices 490 are personal
devices associated with a corresponding user. In some embodiments,
the media guidance application, may download the media to the
identified user's personal device and enable the user to play the
media later time from the beginning or from the point when the user
walked out of the location. However, this function may be
unavailable for share device (e.g., devices 435 400 and 470).
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may adjust the
layout of the display when one or more users start consuming the
content available on the display on a different device (e.g.,
another display or their own smart phone). The media guidance
application may detect that a user in the first set of users has
begun viewing the first available media asset on an alternate
device. For example, the media guidance application may be managing
multiple display devices (e.g., in a conference space or a bar).
Each display device may include a camera or another sensor that can
detect that a user is looking at that display device versus another
display device. The media guidance application may determine using
the camera or a sensor that the user has turned away to another
device. In some embodiments, the media guidance application may
determine, using the camera or another sensor, that the user is now
looking at the user's own device. FIG. 4 illustrates multiple
devices (e.g., devices 435, 400, 470, and 490) that the user may be
consuming data from. If the user was consuming media from device
400 and switched to device 435, a camera may track that change
(e.g., by detecting that the user's gaze changed from device 400 to
device 435). In some embodiments, the user's gaze may change to the
user's own device 490.
The media guidance application may upon detecting that the user is
consuming the media content from a different device, recalculate
the numbers of the different groups of users that are viewing media
from the display. Specifically, the media guidance application may
remove the user of the first set of users that has begun viewing
the first available media asset on the alternate device and
determine a new amount of users in the first set of users without
the user that has begun viewing the first available media asset on
the alternate device. For example, if the user was watching device
400 (FIG. 4) and switched to watched device 435 (FIG. 4), the media
guidance application may remove the user from the appropriate set
for device 400 and calculate the new number of users in the set. In
some embodiments, the media guidance application may recalculate
the number of users watching device 435 when adding the user to the
appropriate set.
The media guidance application may determine whether the new number
of users in the first set changes the difference between the
numbers in the first and second sets by more than a threshold
amount. Specifically, the media guidance application may determine
whether the new amount of users in the first set and the amount of
users in the second set of users differ by more than the threshold
setting. For example, if after the user that was removed from the
first set changed the ratio of the number of users in the first set
to the second set in such a way that the ratio is now lower than 2
to 1, the media guidance application may change the layout of the
display. Specifically, in response to determining that the new
amount of users and the amount of users in the second set of users
exceeds the threshold setting, adjusting the display layout of the
first available media asset and the second available media asset
based on the new amount of users in the first set of users as
compared with an amount of users in the second set of users.
In some embodiments, when the media guidance application detects
that a new user is proximate to the display device, the media
guidance application may attempt to determine the importance of the
new user. The determination of the new user's importance may be
performed using a combination of sensing components and user
profile information. The media guidance application may identify
the new user such as facial or voice recognition technology,
scanning a personal electronic device (ie. a smartphone), or
scanning an employee badge. The media guidance application may then
retrieve the user's profile and search the metadata in the user's
profile for information relevant to the media viewing location.
Such information may include job title, celebrity status, personal
and professional connections, and a number of other details. For
example, the media guidance application may review the new user's
job history and identify the new user as the owner of a bar in
which media is playing. Depending on the settings of the media
guidance application, this may cause the system to prioritize this
particular user over all other factors. For example, the media
guidance application may assign the bar owner to a set of viewers,
such as the first out of two sets of users. The media guidance
application may then display more prominently the content
corresponding to the set of users to which the bar owner belongs,
even if the bar owner belongs to the smaller of the two sets of
users. As another example, the media guidance application may
determine that the new user who has entered a conference room is
the company's president. The media guidance application may
accomplish this by using sensing components to identify the new
user and the new user's profile. The media guidance application may
then recognize that every user in the room is employed by the same
company and may pull up the internal hierarchy of the company.
Based on this information and the metadata in each user's profile,
the media guidance application may determine that the company
president is significantly higher in rank than every other user in
the room. In response, the media guidance application may display
more prominently content that corresponds to the preferences of the
set of users to which the president belongs, regardless of the
ratio of the two sets of users.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may use the
importance of viewers to weigh each viewer's impact on the content
display relative to other viewers. For example, the media guidance
application may recognize that the bar owner is present in a bar
with 50 other users and assign the bar owner to the first of two
user sets. In order to determine viewer importance, the media
guidance application may retrieve each user's profile and search
the metadata for information related to the location, such as
relation to the business, job status within the business, frequency
of visit, personal and professional connections, and other relevant
information. This search may yield results that indicate that the
bar owner is very important to the business and does not frequent
the bar very often. The results may further indicate that most of
the other users at the location are locals who frequent the bar
often but do not have any special connection to the establishment.
Based on its determination of viewer importance, the media guidance
application may determine that all users' preferences should be
weighted equally except for the bar owner, who should be weighted
30 times as heavily as each other user. In this example, it is
possible that the media asset corresponding to the first user set
may be displayed as prominently as or more prominently than the
media asset corresponding to the second user set even if the first
user set is much smaller than the second user set.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may generate
for display two programs sized according to the display size and
the ratio of the number of users preferring the first program
versus the second program. Specifically, the media guidance
application may retrieve information for the display device, the
information indicating a size of the display. For example, the
control circuitry may retrieve the resolution of the display device
(e.g., 1,920.times.1,080) or size of the display (e.g., 55
inches).
The media guidance application may generate for display the two
programs according to the display size (and/or resolution).
Specifically, the media guidance application may generate a display
screen for the display device having a first window for the first
available media asset, the first window sized according to the size
of the display and a ratio of the first set of users to the second
set of users, and generate a second window in the display screen
for the display device, the second window sized according to the
size of the display and a ratio of the second set of the users to
the first set of users. For example, if the first set of users
includes one third of the users and the second set of users
includes two thirds of the users, the media guidance application
may generate the first program using one third of the retrieved
display size/resolution and the second program using two thirds of
the display size/resolution. FIG. 4 illustrates different devices
of different sized (e.g., devices 400, 435). Each of the devices is
configured with different display configurations according to the
size of the device. Device 435 is configured with windows 430 and
440 that have one display configuration according to the size of
the device. Device 400 is of a different size and is configured
with windows 410 and 420 according to the size of the device.
Device 470 is again of a different size is configured differently
according to its size. Windows 470 and 480 are in a different
configuration from windows 410 and 420, and 430 and 440.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may distribute
the audio/subtitle data for different programs that are being
displayed on the display device. Specifically, the media guidance
application may in response to determining that the amount of users
in the first set of users is greater than the amount of users in
the second set of users, play an audio output for the first
available media asset on the display device and generating a
display of closed caption content for the second available media
asset. For example, if the first media asset is preferred by more
viewers than the second media asset, the media guidance application
may play the sound of the first media asset and show closed
captions/subtitles for the second media asset.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may determine
other devices available for users that prefer a program that does
not have the associated audio playing and play the audio of that
program on an available device. Specifically, the media guidance
application may retrieve a table of assignments of users in the
second set of users and devices available for the second set of
users and identify a second available device for one of the second
set of users. For example, the media guidance application may store
a table for every user of devices that the user may be able to hear
if the audio is played from those devices. The media guidance
application may identify those devices for one or more users that
prefer the sports game versus the news program. The media guidance
application may play an audio output for the second available media
asset on the second available device for the one user of the second
set of users. For example, if the determination is made for device
400 (FIG. 4), the media guidance application may play the audio on
device 435 or on a person device 490.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may determine
whether adding the new user to the first set of users changes the
amount of users in the first set of users as compared with the
amount of users in the second set of users by more than the
threshold setting using the following actions. The media guidance
application may calculate the amount of users in the first set of
users after adding the new user, and calculate the amount of users
in the second set of users. The media guidance application may
calculate a ratio of the users who prefer the first media asset and
the second media asset. Specifically, the media guidance
application may determine a ratio of the amount of users in the
first set of users to the second set of users, and compare the
first ratio and the second ratio to the threshold setting. For
example, the media guidance application may calculate the number of
users in the first set and a second set and device the first number
by the second number to get the ratio. The media guidance
application may retrieve the threshold in the form a threshold
ratio and compare the two. Thus, the media guidance application may
determine whether the ratio of users of the first set to the second
set exceeds the threshold.
The media guidance application may, in addition, to a number of
users in both sets use a priority level of each of the two media
assets to determine the layout of the display. Specifically, the
media guidance application may retrieve a priority level for the
first available media asset and the second available media asset,
and determine that the priority level for the first available media
asset is higher than the priority level of the second available
media asset. For example, originally the first media asset may be
of a higher priority than the second media asset. For example,
because more users prefer the first media asset than the second
media asset. The media guidance application may determine that an
event has occurred in the second media asset that may interest the
user. The media guidance application may in response change the
priority of the media assets being displayed. The media guidance
application may update the display screen layout configuration
based on the priority level by increasing a size of a display of
the first available media asset to a size associated with the
priority level.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may monitor the
priority levels of each media asset, and update those priorities
based on what's happening on those media asset. Specifically, the
media guidance application may update one or more of the priority
level of the first available media asset and the priority level of
the second available media asset based on a change in content in
one or more of the first available media asset and the second
available media asset. For example, if there is an interesting
moment in the sports game, the media guidance application may
increase the size of the sports game on the display.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application may add each of
a plurality of users proximate to a display device, to a first set
of users or a second set of users with the following actions. The
media guidance application may retrieve a respective media asset
preference profile for each of the plurality of users. For example,
the media guidance application may retrieve each profile from a
server. Each profile may include one more media asset
characteristics that the user prefers. User profile 600 of FIG. 6
illustrates a possible profile of the user. Each user profile may
include a user identification field 610. The user identification
field may be a unique value identifying the user. User profile 600
may also include attributes field 620. Attributes field 620 may
include preferences of the user. In some embodiments, user profile
600 may be unique for a specific event (e.g., a conference). The
user profile in this instance may store a user's preferences for a
specific conference (e.g., topics of interest at the
conference).
The media guidance application may retrieve characteristics of the
media assets available for display. Specifically, the media
guidance application may retrieve the first characteristic for the
first available media asset and the second characteristic for the
second available media asset. For example, the media guidance
application may retrieve a genre of each media asset. In some
embodiments, the media guidance application may retrieve topics
associated with a conference that the user prefers. The user
profile may be retrieved from storage or from a remote server. The
media guidance application may, in response to matching a first of
the media asset preference profiles for the plurality of users with
the first characteristic, assign a respective user associated with
the matching first media asset preference profile to the first set
of users. The media guidance application may, in response to
matching the first of the media asset preference profiles for the
plurality of users with the second characteristic, assig the
respective user associated with the matching first media asset
preference profile to the second set of users.
The amount of content available to users in any given content
delivery system can be substantial. Consequently, many users desire
a form of media guidance through an interface that allows users to
efficiently navigate content selections and easily identify content
that they may desire. An application that provides such guidance is
referred to herein as an interactive media guidance application or,
sometimes, a media guidance application or a guidance
application.
Interactive media guidance applications may take various forms
depending on the content for which they provide guidance. One
typical type of media guidance application is an interactive
television program guide. Interactive television program guides
(sometimes referred to as electronic program guides) are well-known
guidance applications that, among other things, allow users to
navigate among and locate many types of content or media assets.
Interactive media guidance applications may generate graphical user
interface screens that enable a user to navigate among, locate and
select content. As referred to herein, the terms "media asset" and
"content" should be understood to mean an electronically consumable
user asset, such as television programming, as well as pay-per-view
programs, on-demand programs (as in video-on-demand (VOD) systems),
Internet content (e.g., streaming content, downloadable content,
Webcasts, etc.), video clips, audio, content information, pictures,
rotating images, documents, playlists, websites, articles, books,
electronic books, blogs, chat sessions, social media, applications,
games, and/or any other media or multimedia and/or combination of
the same. Guidance applications also allow users to navigate among
and locate content. As referred to herein, the term "multimedia"
should be understood to mean content that utilizes at least two
different content forms described above, for example, text, audio,
images, video, or interactivity content forms. Content may be
recorded, played, displayed or accessed by user equipment devices,
but can also be part of a live performance.
The media guidance application and/or any instructions for
performing any of the embodiments discussed herein may be encoded
on computer readable media. Computer readable media includes any
media capable of storing data. The computer readable media may be
transitory, including, but not limited to, propagating electrical
or electromagnetic signals, or may be non-transitory including, but
not limited to, volatile and non-volatile computer memory or
storage devices such as a hard disk, floppy disk, USB drive, DVD,
CD, media cards, register memory, processor caches, Random Access
Memory ("RAM"), etc.
With the advent of the Internet, mobile computing, and high-speed
wireless networks, users are accessing media on user equipment
devices on which they traditionally did not. As referred to herein,
the phrase "user equipment device," "user equipment," "user
device," "electronic device," "electronic equipment," "media
equipment device," or "media device" should be understood to mean
any device for accessing the content described above, such as a
television, a Smart TV, a set-top box, an integrated receiver
decoder (IRD) for handling satellite television, a digital storage
device, a digital media receiver (DMR), a digital media adapter
(DMA), a streaming media device, a DVD player, a DVD recorder, a
connected DVD, a local media server, a BLU-RAY player, a BLU-RAY
recorder, a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a tablet
computer, a WebTV box, a personal computer television (PC/TV), a PC
media server, a PC media center, a hand-held computer, a stationary
telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone,
a portable video player, a portable music player, a portable gaming
machine, a smart phone, or any other television equipment,
computing equipment, or wireless device, and/or combination of the
same. In some embodiments, the user equipment device may have a
front facing screen and a rear facing screen, multiple front
screens, or multiple angled screens. In some embodiments, the user
equipment device may have a front facing camera and/or a rear
facing camera. On these user equipment devices, users may be able
to navigate among and locate the same content available through a
television. Consequently, media guidance may be available on these
devices, as well. The guidance provided may be for content
available only through a television, for content available only
through one or more of other types of user equipment devices, or
for content available both through a television and one or more of
the other types of user equipment devices. The media guidance
applications may be provided as on-line applications (i.e.,
provided on a web-site), or as stand-alone applications or clients
on user equipment devices. Various devices and platforms that may
implement media guidance applications are described in more detail
below.
One of the functions of the media guidance application is to
provide media guidance data to users. As referred to herein, the
phrase "media guidance data" or "guidance data" should be
understood to mean any data related to content or data used in
operating the guidance application. For example, the guidance data
may include program information, guidance application settings,
user preferences, user profile information, media listings,
media-related information (e.g., broadcast times, broadcast
channels, titles, descriptions, ratings information (e.g., parental
control ratings, critic's ratings, etc.), genre or category
information, actor information, logo data for broadcasters' or
providers' logos, etc.), media format (e.g., standard definition,
high definition, 3D, etc.), on-demand information, blogs, websites,
and any other type of guidance data that is helpful for a user to
navigate among and locate desired content selections.
In addition to providing access to linear programming (e.g.,
content that is scheduled to be transmitted to a plurality of user
equipment devices at a predetermined time and is provided according
to a schedule), the media guidance application also provides access
to non-linear programming (e.g., content accessible to a user
equipment device at any time and is not provided according to a
schedule). Non-linear programming may include content from
different content sources including on-demand content (e.g., VOD),
Internet content (e.g., streaming media, downloadable media, etc.),
locally stored content (e.g., content stored on any user equipment
device described above or other storage device), or other
time-independent content. On-demand content may include movies or
any other content provided by a particular content provider (e.g.,
HBO On Demand providing "The Sopranos" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm").
HBO ON DEMAND is a service mark owned by Time Warner Company L.P.
et al. and THE SOPRANOS and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM are trademarks
owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. Internet content may include web
events, such as a chat session or Webcast, or content available
on-demand as streaming content or downloadable content through an
Internet web site or other Internet access (e.g. FTP).
The media guidance application may be personalized based on a
user's preferences. A personalized media guidance application
allows a user to customize displays and features to create a
personalized "experience" with the media guidance application. This
personalized experience may be created by allowing a user to input
these customizations and/or by the media guidance application
monitoring user activity to determine various user preferences.
Users may access their personalized guidance application by logging
in or otherwise identifying themselves to the guidance application.
Customization of the media guidance application may be made in
accordance with a user profile. The customizations may include
varying presentation schemes (e.g., color scheme of displays, font
size of text, etc.), aspects of content listings displayed (e.g.,
only HDTV or only 3D programming, user-specified broadcast channels
based on favorite channel selections, re-ordering the display of
channels, recommended content, etc.), desired recording features
(e.g., recording or series recordings for particular users,
recording quality, etc.), parental control settings, customized
presentation of Internet content (e.g., presentation of social
media content, e-mail, electronically delivered articles, etc.) and
other desired customizations.
The media guidance application may allow a user to provide user
profile information or may automatically compile user profile
information. The media guidance application may, for example,
monitor the content the user accesses and/or other interactions the
user may have with the guidance application. Additionally, the
media guidance application may obtain all or part of other user
profiles that are related to a particular user (e.g., from other
web sites on the Internet the user accesses, such as www.Tivo.com,
from other media guidance applications the user accesses, from
other interactive applications the user accesses, from another user
equipment device of the user, etc.), and/or obtain information
about the user from other sources that the media guidance
application may access. As a result, a user can be provided with a
unified guidance application experience across the user's different
user equipment devices. This type of user experience is described
in greater detail below in connection with FIG. 8. Additional
personalized media guidance application features are described in
greater detail in Ellis et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication
No. 2005/0251827, filed Jul. 11, 2005, Boyer et al., U.S. Pat. No.
7,165,098, issued Jan. 16, 2007, and Ellis et al., U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 2002/0174430, filed Feb. 21, 2002,
which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their
entireties.
Users may access content and the media guidance application (and
its display screens described above and below) from one or more of
their user equipment devices. FIG. 7 shows generalized embodiments
of illustrative user equipment devices 500 and 501. For example,
user equipment device 500 may be a smartphone device. In another
example, user equipment system 501 may be a user television
equipment system. User television equipment system 501 may include
a set-top box 516. Set-top box 516 may be communicatively connected
to speaker 514 and display 512. In some embodiments, display 512
may be a television display or a computer display. In some
embodiments, set top box 516 may be communicatively connected to
user interface input 510. In some embodiments, user interface input
510 may be a remote control device. Set-top box 516 may include one
or more circuit boards. In some embodiments, the circuit boards may
include processing circuitry, control circuitry, and storage (e.g.,
RAM, ROM, Hard Disk, Removable Disk, etc.). In some embodiments,
circuit board 324 may include an input/output path. More specific
implementations of user equipment devices are discussed below in
connection with FIG. 8. Each one of user equipment device 700 and
user equipment system 701 may receive content and data via
input/output (hereinafter "I/O") path 702. I/O path 702 may provide
content (e.g., broadcast programming, on-demand programming,
Internet content, content available over a local area network (LAN)
or wide area network (WAN), and/or other content) and data to
control circuitry 704, which includes processing circuitry 706 and
storage 708. Control circuitry 704 may be used to send and receive
commands, requests, and other suitable data using I/O path 702. I/O
path 702 may connect control circuitry 704 (and specifically
processing circuitry 706) to one or more communications paths
(described below). I/O functions may be provided by one or more of
these communications paths, but are shown as a single path in FIG.
7 to avoid overcomplicating the drawing.
Control circuitry 704 may be based on any suitable processing
circuitry such as processing circuitry 706. As referred to herein,
processing circuitry should be understood to mean circuitry based
on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal
processors, programmable logic devices, field-programmable gate
arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs),
etc., and may include a multi-core processor (e.g., dual-core,
quad-core, hexa-core, or any suitable number of cores) or
supercomputer. In some embodiments, processing circuitry may be
distributed across multiple separate processors or processing
units, for example, multiple of the same type of processing units
(e.g., two Intel Core i7 processors) or multiple different
processors (e.g., an Intel Core i5 processor and an Intel Core i7
processor). In some embodiments, control circuitry 704 executes
instructions for a media guidance application stored in memory
(i.e., storage 708). Specifically, control circuitry 704 may be
instructed by the media guidance application to perform the
functions discussed above and below. For example, the media
guidance application may provide instructions to control circuitry
704 to generate the media guidance displays. In some
implementations, any action performed by control circuitry 704 may
be based on instructions received from the media guidance
application.
In client-server based embodiments, control circuitry 704 may
include communications circuitry suitable for communicating with a
guidance application server or other networks or servers. The
instructions for carrying out the above mentioned functionality may
be stored on the guidance application server. Communications
circuitry may include a cable modem, an integrated services digital
network (ISDN) modem, a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem, a
telephone modem, Ethernet card, or a wireless modem for
communications with other equipment, or any other suitable
communications circuitry. Such communications may involve the
Internet or any other suitable communications networks or paths
(which is described in more detail in connection with FIG. 8). In
addition, communications circuitry may include circuitry that
enables peer-to-peer communication of user equipment devices, or
communication of user equipment devices in locations remote from
each other (described in more detail below).
Memory may be an electronic storage device provided as storage 708
that is part of control circuitry 704. As referred to herein, the
phrase "electronic storage device" or "storage device" should be
understood to mean any device for storing electronic data, computer
software, or firmware, such as random-access memory, read-only
memory, hard drives, optical drives, digital video disc (DVD)
recorders, compact disc (CD) recorders, BLU-RAY disc (BD)
recorders, BLU-RAY 3D disc recorders, digital video recorders (DVR,
sometimes called a personal video recorder, or PVR), solid state
devices, quantum storage devices, gaming consoles, gaming media, or
any other suitable fixed or removable storage devices, and/or any
combination of the same. Storage 708 may be used to store various
types of content described herein as well as media guidance data
described above. Nonvolatile memory may also be used (e.g., to
launch a boot-up routine and other instructions). Cloud-based
storage, described in relation to FIG. 8, may be used to supplement
storage 708 or instead of storage 708.
Control circuitry 704 may include video generating circuitry and
tuning circuitry, such as one or more analog tuners, one or more
MPEG-2 decoders or other digital decoding circuitry,
high-definition tuners, or any other suitable tuning or video
circuits or combinations of such circuits. Encoding circuitry
(e.g., for converting over-the-air, analog, or digital signals to
MPEG signals for storage) may also be provided. Control circuitry
704 may also include scaler circuitry for upconverting and
downconverting content into the preferred output format of the user
equipment 700. Circuitry 704 may also include digital-to-analog
converter circuitry and analog-to-digital converter circuitry for
converting between digital and analog signals. The tuning and
encoding circuitry may be used by the user equipment device to
receive and to display, to play, or to record content. The tuning
and encoding circuitry may also be used to receive guidance data.
The circuitry described herein, including for example, the tuning,
video generating, encoding, decoding, encrypting, decrypting,
scaler, and analog/digital circuitry, may be implemented using
software running on one or more general purpose or specialized
processors. Multiple tuners may be provided to handle simultaneous
tuning functions (e.g., watch and record functions,
picture-in-picture (PIP) functions, multiple-tuner recording,
etc.). If storage 708 is provided as a separate device from user
equipment 700, the tuning and encoding circuitry (including
multiple tuners) may be associated with storage 708.
A user may send instructions to control circuitry 704 using user
input interface 710. User input interface 710 may be any suitable
user interface, such as a remote control, mouse, trackball, keypad,
keyboard, touch screen, touchpad, stylus input, joystick, voice
recognition interface, or other user input interfaces. Display 712
may be provided as a stand-alone device or integrated with other
elements of each one of user equipment device 700 and user
equipment system 701. For example, display 712 may be a touchscreen
or touch-sensitive display. In such circumstances, user input
interface 710 may be integrated with or combined with display 712.
Display 712 may be one or more of a monitor, a television, a liquid
crystal display (LCD) for a mobile device, amorphous silicon
display, low temperature poly silicon display, electronic ink
display, electrophoretic display, active matrix display,
electro-wetting display, electrofluidic display, cathode ray tube
display, light-emitting diode display, electroluminescent display,
plasma display panel, high-performance addressing display,
thin-film transistor display, organic light-emitting diode display,
surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED), laser
television, carbon nanotubes, quantum dot display, interferometric
modulator display, or any other suitable equipment for displaying
visual images. In some embodiments, display 712 may be
HDTV-capable. In some embodiments, display 712 may be a 3D display,
and the interactive media guidance application and any suitable
content may be displayed in 3D. A video card or graphics card may
generate the output to the display 712. The video card may offer
various functions such as accelerated rendering of 3D scenes and 2D
graphics, MPEG-2/MPEG-4 decoding, TV output, or the ability to
connect multiple monitors. The video card may be any processing
circuitry described above in relation to control circuitry 704. The
video card may be integrated with the control circuitry 704.
Speakers 714 may be provided as integrated with other elements of
each one of user equipment device 700 and user equipment system 701
or may be stand-alone units. The audio component of videos and
other content displayed on display 712 may be played through
speakers 714. In some embodiments, the audio may be distributed to
a receiver (not shown), which processes and outputs the audio via
speakers 714.
The guidance application may be implemented using any suitable
architecture. For example, it may be a stand-alone application
wholly-implemented on each one of user equipment device 700 and
user equipment system 701. In such an approach, instructions of the
application are stored locally (e.g., in storage 708), and data for
use by the application is downloaded on a periodic basis (e.g.,
from an out-of-band feed, from an Internet resource, or using
another suitable approach). Control circuitry 704 may retrieve
instructions of the application from storage 708 and process the
instructions to generate any of the displays discussed herein.
Based on the processed instructions, control circuitry 704 may
determine what action to perform when input is received from input
interface 710. For example, movement of a cursor on a display
up/down may be indicated by the processed instructions when input
interface 710 indicates that an up/down button was selected.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application is a
client-server based application. Data for use by a thick or thin
client implemented on each one of user equipment device 700 and
user equipment system 701 is retrieved on-demand by issuing
requests to a server remote to each one of user equipment device
700 and user equipment system 701. In one example of a
client-server based guidance application, control circuitry 704
runs a web browser that interprets web pages provided by a remote
server. For example, the remote server may store the instructions
for the application in a storage device. The remote server may
process the stored instructions using circuitry (e.g., control
circuitry 704) and generate the displays discussed above and below.
The client device may receive the displays generated by the remote
server and may display the content of the displays locally on
equipment device 700. This way, the processing of the instructions
is performed remotely by the server while the resulting displays
are provided locally on equipment device 700. Equipment device 700
may receive inputs from the user via input interface 710 and
transmit those inputs to the remote server for processing and
generating the corresponding displays. For example, equipment
device 700 may transmit a communication to the remote server
indicating that an up/down button was selected via input interface
710. The remote server may process instructions in accordance with
that input and generate a display of the application corresponding
to the input (e.g., a display that moves a cursor up/down). The
generated display is then transmitted to equipment device 700 for
presentation to the user.
In some embodiments, the media guidance application is downloaded
and interpreted or otherwise run by an interpreter or virtual
machine (run by control circuitry 704). In some embodiments, the
guidance application may be encoded in the ETV Binary Interchange
Format (EBIF), received by control circuitry 704 as part of a
suitable feed, and interpreted by a user agent running on control
circuitry 704. For example, the guidance application may be an EBIF
application. In some embodiments, the guidance application may be
defined by a series of JAVA-based files that are received and run
by a local virtual machine or other suitable middleware executed by
control circuitry 704. In some of such embodiments (e.g., those
employing MPEG-2 or other digital media encoding schemes), the
guidance application may be, for example, encoded and transmitted
in an MPEG-2 object carousel with the MPEG audio and video packets
of a program.
Each one of user equipment device 700 and user equipment system 701
of FIG. 7 can be implemented in system 800 of FIG. 8 as user
television equipment 802, user computer equipment 804, wireless
user communications device 806, or any other type of user equipment
suitable for accessing content, such as a non-portable gaming
machine. For simplicity, these devices may be referred to herein
collectively as user equipment or user equipment devices, and may
be substantially similar to user equipment devices described above.
User equipment devices, on which a media guidance application may
be implemented, may function as a standalone device or may be part
of a network of devices. Various network configurations of devices
may be implemented and are discussed in more detail below.
A user equipment device utilizing at least some of the system
features described above in connection with FIG. 7 may not be
classified solely as user television equipment 802, user computer
equipment 804, or a wireless user communications device 806. For
example, user television equipment 802 may, like some user computer
equipment 804, be Internet-enabled allowing for access to Internet
content, while user computer equipment 804 may, like some
television equipment 802, include a tuner allowing for access to
television programming. The media guidance application may have the
same layout on various different types of user equipment or may be
tailored to the display capabilities of the user equipment. For
example, on user computer equipment 804, the guidance application
may be provided as a web site accessed by a web browser. In another
example, the guidance application may be scaled down for wireless
user communications devices 806.
In system 800, there is typically more than one of each type of
user equipment device but only one of each is shown in FIG. 8 to
avoid overcomplicating the drawing. In addition, each user may
utilize more than one type of user equipment device and also more
than one of each type of user equipment device.
In some embodiments, a user equipment device (e.g., user television
equipment 802, user computer equipment 804, wireless user
communications device 806) may be referred to as a "second screen
device." For example, a second screen device may supplement content
presented on a first user equipment device. The content presented
on the second screen device may be any suitable content that
supplements the content presented on the first device. In some
embodiments, the second screen device provides an interface for
adjusting settings and display preferences of the first device. In
some embodiments, the second screen device is configured for
interacting with other second screen devices or for interacting
with a social network. The second screen device can be located in
the same room as the first device, a different room from the first
device but in the same house or building, or in a different
building from the first device.
The user may also set various settings to maintain consistent media
guidance application settings across in-home devices and remote
devices. Settings include those described herein, as well as
channel and program favorites, programming preferences that the
guidance application utilizes to make programming recommendations,
display preferences, and other desirable guidance settings. For
example, if a user sets a channel as a favorite on, for example,
the web site www.Tivo.com on their personal computer at their
office, the same channel would appear as a favorite on the user's
in-home devices (e.g., user television equipment and user computer
equipment) as well as the user's mobile devices, if desired.
Therefore, changes made on one user equipment device can change the
guidance experience on another user equipment device, regardless of
whether they are the same or a different type of user equipment
device. In addition, the changes made may be based on settings
input by a user, as well as user activity monitored by the guidance
application.
The user equipment devices may be coupled to communications network
814. Namely, user television equipment 802, user computer equipment
804, and wireless user communications device 806 are coupled to
communications network 814 via communications paths 808, 810, and
812, respectively. Communications network 814 may be one or more
networks including the Internet, a mobile phone network, mobile
voice or data network (e.g., a 4G or LTE network), cable network,
public switched telephone network, or other types of communications
network or combinations of communications networks. Paths 808, 810,
and 812 may separately or together include one or more
communications paths, such as, a satellite path, a fiber-optic
path, a cable path, a path that supports Internet communications
(e.g., IPTV), free-space connections (e.g., for broadcast or other
wireless signals), or any other suitable wired or wireless
communications path or combination of such paths. Path 812 is drawn
with dotted lines to indicate that in the exemplary embodiment
shown in FIG. 8 it is a wireless path and paths 808 and 810 are
drawn as solid lines to indicate they are wired paths (although
these paths may be wireless paths, if desired). Communications with
the user equipment devices may be provided by one or more of these
communications paths, but are shown as a single path in FIG. 8 to
avoid overcomplicating the drawing.
Although communications paths are not drawn between user equipment
devices, these devices may communicate directly with each other via
communication paths, such as those described above in connection
with paths 808, 810, and 812, as well as other short-range
point-to-point communication paths, such as USB cables, IEEE 1394
cables, wireless paths (e.g., Bluetooth, infrared, IEEE 802-11x,
etc.), or other short-range communication via wired or wireless
paths. BLUETOOTH is a certification mark owned by Bluetooth SIG,
INC. The user equipment devices may also communicate with each
other directly through an indirect path via communications network
814.
System 800 includes content source 816 and media guidance data
source 818 coupled to communications network 814 via communication
paths 820 and 822, respectively. Paths 820 and 822 may include any
of the communication paths described above in connection with paths
808, 810, and 812. Communications with the content source 816 and
media guidance data source 818 may be exchanged over one or more
communications paths, but are shown as a single path in FIG. 8 to
avoid overcomplicating the drawing. In addition, there may be more
than one of each of content source 816 and media guidance data
source 818, but only one of each is shown in FIG. 8 to avoid
overcomplicating the drawing. (The different types of each of these
sources are discussed below.) If desired, content source 816 and
media guidance data source 818 may be integrated as one source
device. Although communications between sources 816 and 818 with
user equipment devices 802, 804, and 806 are shown as through
communications network 814, in some embodiments, sources 816 and
818 may communicate directly with user equipment devices 802, 804,
and 806 via communication paths (not shown) such as those described
above in connection with paths 808, 810, and 812.
Content source 816 may include one or more types of content
distribution equipment including a television distribution
facility, cable system headend, satellite distribution facility,
programming sources (e.g., television broadcasters, such as NBC,
ABC, HBO, etc.), intermediate distribution facilities and/or
servers, Internet providers, on-demand media servers, and other
content providers. NBC is a trademark owned by the National
Broadcasting Company, Inc., ABC is a trademark owned by the
American Broadcasting Company, Inc., and HBO is a trademark owned
by the Home Box Office, Inc. Content source 816 may be the
originator of content (e.g., a television broadcaster, a Webcast
provider, etc.) or may not be the originator of content (e.g., an
on-demand content provider, an Internet provider of content of
broadcast programs for downloading, etc.). Content source 816 may
include cable sources, satellite providers, on-demand providers,
Internet providers, over-the-top content providers, or other
providers of content. Content source 816 may also include a remote
media server used to store different types of content (including
video content selected by a user), in a location remote from any of
the user equipment devices. Systems and methods for remote storage
of content, and providing remotely stored content to user equipment
are discussed in greater detail in connection with Ellis et al.,
U.S. Pat. No. 7,761,892, issued Jul. 20, 2010, which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Media guidance data source 818 may provide media guidance data,
such as the media guidance data described above. Media guidance
data may be provided to the user equipment devices using any
suitable approach. In some embodiments, the guidance application
may be a stand-alone interactive television program guide that
receives program guide data via a data feed (e.g., a continuous
feed or trickle feed). Program schedule data and other guidance
data may be provided to the user equipment on a television channel
sideband, using an in-band digital signal, using an out-of-band
digital signal, or by any other suitable data transmission
technique. Program schedule data and other media guidance data may
be provided to user equipment on multiple analog or digital
television channels.
In some embodiments, guidance data from media guidance data source
818 may be provided to users' equipment using a client-server
approach. For example, a user equipment device may pull media
guidance data from a server, or a server may push media guidance
data to a user equipment device. In some embodiments, a guidance
application client residing on the user's equipment may initiate
sessions with source 818 to obtain guidance data when needed, e.g.,
when the guidance data is out of date or when the user equipment
device receives a request from the user to receive data. Media
guidance may be provided to the user equipment with any suitable
frequency (e.g., continuously, daily, a user-specified period of
time, a system-specified period of time, in response to a request
from user equipment, etc.). Media guidance data source 818 may
provide user equipment devices 802, 804, and 806 the media guidance
application itself or software updates for the media guidance
application.
In some embodiments, the media guidance data may include viewer
data. For example, the viewer data may include current and/or
historical user activity information (e.g., what content the user
typically watches, what times of day the user watches content,
whether the user interacts with a social network, at what times the
user interacts with a social network to post information, what
types of content the user typically watches (e.g., pay TV or free
TV), mood, brain activity information, etc.). The media guidance
data may also include subscription data. For example, the
subscription data may identify to which sources or services a given
user subscribes and/or to which sources or services the given user
has previously subscribed but later terminated access (e.g.,
whether the user subscribes to premium channels, whether the user
has added a premium level of services, whether the user has
increased Internet speed). In some embodiments, the viewer data
and/or the subscription data may identify patterns of a given user
for a period of more than one year. The media guidance data may
include a model (e.g., a survivor model) used for generating a
score that indicates a likelihood a given user will terminate
access to a service/source. For example, the media guidance
application may process the viewer data with the subscription data
using the model to generate a value or score that indicates a
likelihood of whether the given user will terminate access to a
particular service or source. In particular, a higher score may
indicate a higher level of confidence that the user will terminate
access to a particular service or source. Based on the score, the
media guidance application may generate promotions that entice the
user to keep the particular service or source indicated by the
score as one to which the user will likely terminate access.
Media guidance applications may be, for example, stand-alone
applications implemented on user equipment devices. For example,
the media guidance application may be implemented as software or a
set of executable instructions which may be stored in storage 708,
and executed by control circuitry 704 of each one of user equipment
device 700 and user equipment system 701. In some embodiments,
media guidance applications may be client-server applications where
only a client application resides on the user equipment device, and
server application resides on a remote server. For example, media
guidance applications may be implemented partially as a client
application on control circuitry 704 of each one of user equipment
device 700 and user equipment system 701 and partially on a remote
server as a server application (e.g., media guidance data source
818) running on control circuitry of the remote server. When
executed by control circuitry of the remote server (such as media
guidance data source 818), the media guidance application may
instruct the control circuitry to generate the guidance application
displays and transmit the generated displays to the user equipment
devices. The server application may instruct the control circuitry
of the media guidance data source 818 to transmit data for storage
on the user equipment. The client application may instruct control
circuitry of the receiving user equipment to generate the guidance
application displays.
Content and/or media guidance data delivered to user equipment
devices 802, 804, and 806 may be over-the-top (OTT) content. OTT
content delivery allows Internet-enabled user devices, including
any user equipment device described above, to receive content that
is transferred over the Internet, including any content described
above, in addition to content received over cable or satellite
connections. OTT content is delivered via an Internet connection
provided by an Internet service provider (ISP), but a third party
distributes the content. The ISP may not be responsible for the
viewing abilities, copyrights, or redistribution of the content,
and may only transfer IP packets provided by the OTT content
provider. Examples of OTT content providers include YOUTUBE,
NETFLIX, and HULU, which provide audio and video via IP packets.
Youtube is a trademark owned by Google Inc., Netflix is a trademark
owned by Netflix Inc., and Hulu is a trademark owned by Hulu, LLC.
OTT content providers may additionally or alternatively provide
media guidance data described above. In addition to content and/or
media guidance data, providers of OTT content can distribute media
guidance applications (e.g., web-based applications or cloud-based
applications), or the content can be displayed by media guidance
applications stored on the user equipment device.
Media guidance system 800 is intended to illustrate a number of
approaches, or network configurations, by which user equipment
devices and sources of content and guidance data may communicate
with each other for the purpose of accessing content and providing
media guidance. The embodiments described herein may be applied in
any one or a subset of these approaches, or in a system employing
other approaches for delivering content and providing media
guidance. The following four approaches provide specific
illustrations of the generalized example of FIG. 8.
In one approach, user equipment devices may communicate with each
other within a home network. User equipment devices can communicate
with each other directly via short-range point-to-point
communication schemes described above, via indirect paths through a
hub or other similar device provided on a home network, or via
communications network 814. Each of the multiple individuals in a
single home may operate different user equipment devices on the
home network. As a result, it may be desirable for various media
guidance information or settings to be communicated between the
different user equipment devices. For example, it may be desirable
for users to maintain consistent media guidance application
settings on different user equipment devices within a home network,
as described in greater detail in Ellis et al., U.S. Patent
Publication No. 2005/0251827, filed Jul. 11, 2005. Different types
of user equipment devices in a home network may also communicate
with each other to transmit content. For example, a user may
transmit content from user computer equipment to a portable video
player or portable music player.
In a second approach, users may have multiple types of user
equipment by which they access content and obtain media guidance.
For example, some users may have home networks that are accessed by
in-home and mobile devices. Users may control in-home devices via a
media guidance application implemented on a remote device. For
example, users may access an online media guidance application on a
website via a personal computer at their office, or a mobile device
such as a PDA or web-enabled mobile telephone. The user may set
various settings (e.g., recordings, reminders, or other settings)
on the online guidance application to control the user's in-home
equipment. The online guide may control the user's equipment
directly, or by communicating with a media guidance application on
the user's in-home equipment. Various systems and methods for user
equipment devices communicating, where the user equipment devices
are in locations remote from each other, is discussed in, for
example, Ellis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,046,801, issued Oct. 25,
2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
In a third approach, users of user equipment devices inside and
outside a home can use their media guidance application to
communicate directly with content source 816 to access content.
Specifically, within a home, users of user television equipment 802
and user computer equipment 804 may access the media guidance
application to navigate among and locate desirable content. Users
may also access the media guidance application outside of the home
using wireless user communications devices 806 to navigate among
and locate desirable content.
In a fourth approach, user equipment devices may operate in a cloud
computing environment to access cloud services. In a cloud
computing environment, various types of computing services for
content sharing, storage or distribution (e.g., video sharing sites
or social networking sites) are provided by a collection of
network-accessible computing and storage resources, referred to as
"the cloud." For example, the cloud can include a collection of
server computing devices, which may be located centrally or at
distributed locations, that provide cloud-based services to various
types of users and devices connected via a network such as the
Internet via communications network 814. These cloud resources may
include one or more content sources 816 and one or more media
guidance data sources 818. In addition or in the alternative, the
remote computing sites may include other user equipment devices,
such as user television equipment 802, user computer equipment 804,
and wireless user communications device 806. For example, the other
user equipment devices may provide access to a stored copy of a
video or a streamed video. In such embodiments, user equipment
devices may operate in a peer-to-peer manner without communicating
with a central server.
The cloud provides access to services, such as content storage,
content sharing, or social networking services, among other
examples, as well as access to any content described above, for
user equipment devices. Services can be provided in the cloud
through cloud computing service providers, or through other
providers of online services. For example, the cloud-based services
can include a content storage service, a content sharing site, a
social networking site, or other services via which user-sourced
content is distributed for viewing by others on connected devices.
These cloud-based services may allow a user equipment device to
store content to the cloud and to receive content from the cloud
rather than storing content locally and accessing locally-stored
content.
A user may use various content capture devices, such as camcorders,
digital cameras with video mode, audio recorders, mobile phones,
and handheld computing devices, to record content. The user can
upload content to a content storage service on the cloud either
directly, for example, from user computer equipment 804 or wireless
user communications device 806 having content capture feature.
Alternatively, the user can first transfer the content to a user
equipment device, such as user computer equipment 804. The user
equipment device storing the content uploads the content to the
cloud using a data transmission service on communications network
814. In some embodiments, the user equipment device itself is a
cloud resource, and other user equipment devices can access the
content directly from the user equipment device on which the user
stored the content.
Cloud resources may be accessed by a user equipment device using,
for example, a web browser, a media guidance application, a desktop
application, a mobile application, and/or any combination of access
applications of the same. The user equipment device may be a cloud
client that relies on cloud computing for application delivery, or
the user equipment device may have some functionality without
access to cloud resources. For example, some applications running
on the user equipment device may be cloud applications, i.e.,
applications delivered as a service over the Internet, while other
applications may be stored and run on the user equipment device. In
some embodiments, a user device may receive content from multiple
cloud resources simultaneously. For example, a user device can
stream audio from one cloud resource while downloading content from
a second cloud resource. Or a user device can download content from
multiple cloud resources for more efficient downloading. In some
embodiments, user equipment devices can use cloud resources for
processing operations such as the processing operations performed
by processing circuitry described in relation to FIG. 7.
As referred herein, the term "in response to" refers to initiated
as a result of For example, a first action being performed in
response to a second action may include interstitial steps between
the first action and the second action. As referred herein, the
term "directly in response to" refers to caused by. For example, a
first action being performed directly in response to a second
action may not include interstitial steps between the first action
and the second action.
FIG. 9 depicts an illustrative flowchart of a process for
delivering multiple media assets for a plurality of users, in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 900,
and any of the following processes, may be executed by control
circuitry 704 (e.g., in a manner instructed to control circuitry
704 by the media guidance application). Control circuitry 704 may
be part of user equipment (e.g., a device which may have any or all
of the functionality of user television equipment 802, user
computer equipment 804, and/or wireless communications device 806),
or of a remote server separated from the user equipment by way of
communication network 814, or distributed over a combination of
both.
At 905, control circuitry 704 detects users that are proximate to a
display device who are able to view media content on the display
device. For example, the control circuitry 704 may instruct an
input/out interface, e.g., a camera or a set of cameras, to detect
faces within the field of vision of the camera. In some
embodiments, the control circuitry 704 may use a stereoscopic
camera or cameras to detect distance between a camera and the users
in the cameras field of view.
At 910, the control circuitry 704 generates a first set of users
and a second set of users from the detected user. For example, the
control circuitry 704 may place a user into the first set of users
based on that user's media asset preference profile being aligned
with a first available media asset, and the control circuitry 704
may place a user in the second set of users based on that user's
respective media asset preference profile being aligned with a
second available media asset. In some embodiments, the control
circuitry 704 may, using communication circuitry, contact an
information source, profile server, or other user information
repository using, e.g., a communication network 814.
At 915, the control circuitry 704 generates, on a display device,
e.g., display 712, the first available media asset and the second
available media asset. For example, the control circuitry 704 may
determine a layout for the first available media asset and the
second available media asset in the display based on an amount of
users in the first set of users as compared with an amount of users
in the second set of users. In some embodiments, the control
circuitry 704 adjusts the size of the media assets. In some
embodiments, the control circuitry 704 adjusts the positions of the
media assets in the displayrelative to a critical mass of the
viewing angle of users in the first and second sets.
At 920, the control circuitry 704 detects a new user proximate to
the display device that is able to view the media content on the
display device. For example, the control circuitry 704 may
continuously monitor a video or picture feed from a camera as
described above, and, as individuals enter the frame, identify
those users a new user.
At 925, the control circuitry 704 determines that the new user has
a media asset preference profile aligned more with the first
available media asset than the second available media asset. For
example, the control circuitry 704 may contact, using communication
circuitry, a profile server or other information repository housing
user information. In some embodiments, the control circuitry 704
may extract portions of the profile for the new user and compare
those extracted portions with attributes of each media asset.
At 930, the control circuitry 704 determines whether adding the new
user to the first set of users changes the ratio of users in the
first and second set of users by a threshold amount. The threshold
of change may be configurable, i.e., changeable from a user, may be
stored remotely, i.e., on a remote server, or may be hardcoded in
instructions provided to the control circuitry 704.
At 935, the control circuitry 704, in response to determining that
adding the new user to the first set of users changes the amount of
users in the first set of users as compared with the amount of
users in the second set of users, i.e., the ratio, by more than a
threshold amount, adjusts the layout according to the change. For
example, the control circuitry 704 may change the position of the
media assets in display 712.
FIG. 812 depicts another illustrative flowchart of a process for
delivering multiple media assets for a plurality of users, in
accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. At 1005,
control circuitry 704 assigns each of a plurality of users
proximate to a display device to a first set of users or a second
set of users. For example, the control circuitry 704 may instruct
an input/out interface, e.g., a camera or a set of cameras, to
detect faces within the field of vision of the camera. In some
embodiments, the control circuitry 704 may use a stereoscopic
camera or cameras to detect distance between a camera and the users
in the cameras field of view. The control circuitry 704 then
assigns users to the sets of users by, for example, the user's
preferences. For example, control circuitry 704 may assign users in
the first set of users based on having a media asset preference
profile having a preference for a first characteristic of a first
available media asset and assign users in the second set of users
based on having a media asset preference profile having a
preference for a second characteristic of a second available media
asset.
At 1010, control circuitry 704 generates, on the display device,
e.g., display 712, the first available media asset and the second
available media asset. For example, the control circuitry 704 may
determine a layout for the first available media asset and the
second available media asset on the display, e.g., display 712,
based on an amount of users in the first set of users as compared
with an amount of users in the second set of users.
At 1015, the control circuitry 704 detects a new user proximate to
the display device. For example, the control circuitry 704 may use
a user input interface, e.g., a camera, to detect faces in the
field of view and detect when new faces enter the frame.
At 1020, control circuitry 704 retrieves a media asset preference
profile for the new user. For example, control circuitry 704 may
contact, using communication circuitry, a remote server, an
information source, or other storage containing information about
user profiles. In some embodiments, the control circuitry 704 may
retrieve profiles from storage 708.
At 1025, the control circuitry 704 determines that the new user has
a media asset preference profile that indicates the new user has a
preference for the first characteristic. For example, the control
circuitry 704 may analyze the preference information about the new
user to determine that a genre of the media asset, e.g., a sports
game, matches the genre of a media asset.
At 1030, the control circuitry 704 retrieves a threshold setting
for the first set of users and the second set of users, the
threshold setting indicative of an increment to either of the first
set of users and the second set of users and relative to a total
set of users in the first set of users and the second set of users.
For example, control circuitry 704 may retrieve the threshold
setting from storage 208. The threshold of change may be
configurable, i.e., changeable from a user, may be stored remotely,
i.e., on a remote server, or may be hardcoded in instructions
provided to the control circuitry 704.
At 1040, control circuitry 704 determines whether adding the new
user to the first set of users changes the amount of users in the
first set of users as compared with the amount of users in the
second set of users by more than the threshold setting, In response
to determining that adding the new user to the first set of users
changes the amount of users in the first set of users as compared
with the amount of users in the second set of users by more than a
threshold setting, the control circuitry 704 adjusts the display
layout of the first available media asset and the second available
media asset according to the change.
FIG. 11 depicts another illustrative flowchart of a process for
adjusting the display layout of media assets, in accordance with
some embodiments of the disclosure. At 1105, control circuitry 704
detects whether a user in the first set of has stopped viewing the
display. In some embodiments, the control circuitry 704 may
determine the user has left the field of view of the display. In
some embodiments, the control circuitry 704 may use a camera in
combination with gaze detection techniques to determine the user is
not watching the display. If the control circuitry 704 determines a
user has stopped viewing the display, then process 1100 continues
at 1110.
At 1110, control circuitry 704 removes the user of the first set of
users that has stopped viewing the display, e.g., left the field of
view of the display, from the first set of users. For example, the
control circuitry 704 may maintain a list of identifiers for active
users in each set of users and remove the identifier of users that
are no longer watching the display.
At 1115, control circuitry 704 determines a new amount of users in
the first set of users without the user that has left the field of
view. For example, control circuitry 704 may access a list of users
in the first set and perform operations to determine the count of
identifiers in the list.
At 1120, control circuitry 704 determines whether the new amount of
users in the first set and the amount of users in the second set of
users differ by more than the threshold setting. The threshold of
change may be configurable, i.e., changeable from a user, may be
stored remotely, i.e., on a remote server, or may be hardcoded in
instructions provided to the control circuitry 704. If control
circuitry 704 determines that the new amount of users in the first
set and the amount of users in the second set of users differ by
more than the threshold setting, then process 1100 continues at
1125.
At 1125, control circuitry 704, in response to determining that the
new amount of users and the amount of users in the second set of
users exceeds the threshold setting, adjusts the display layout of
the first available media asset and the second available media
asset based on the new amount of users in the first set of users as
compared with an amount of users in the second set of users. For
example, if control circuitry 704 determines that the amount of
users in the first set of users is larger than the second set of
user then the control circuitry 704 may make the display of the
first media asset larger than the display of the second media asset
in display 712.
At 1130, control circuitry 704 retrieves a set of alternate display
devices available to the user that has left the field of view of
the display. For example, control circuitry 704 may retrieve, using
e.g., communication circuitry, a list of devices associated with an
identifier of the user. This list may include information
identifying smartphones, tablets, personal computers, virtual
reality headsets, augmented reality headsets, or other
displays.
At 1135, control circuitry 704 may determine whether the first
available media asset is available for display on any of the
alternate display devices. For example, control circuitry 704 may
determine whether the user that stopped viewing the media asset is
authorized to view the media asset on a smartphone. If control
circuitry 704 determines that the first available media asset is
available for display on any of the alternate display devices then
process 1100 continues at 1140.
At 1140, the control circuitry 704, in response to determining that
the first available media asset is available for display on a first
display of the set of alternate display, generates a display screen
of the first available media asset on the first display. For
example, control circuitry 704 may generate playback of the media
asset on a display of wireless communications device 806.
The processes discussed above are intended to be illustrative and
not limiting. One skilled in the art would appreciate that the
actions of the processes discussed herein may be omitted, modified,
combined, and/or rearranged, and any additional actions may be
performed without departing from the scope of the invention. More
generally, the above disclosure is meant to be exemplary and not
limiting. Only the claims that follow are meant to set bounds as to
what the present disclosure includes. Furthermore, it should be
noted that the features and limitations described in any one
embodiment may be applied to any other embodiment herein, and
flowcharts or examples relating to one embodiment may be combined
with any other embodiment in a suitable manner, done in different
orders, or done in parallel. In addition, the systems and methods
described herein may be performed in real time. It should also be
noted that the systems and/or methods described above may be
applied to, or used in accordance with, other systems and/or
methods.
* * * * *
References